Chapter 4
1061 Words
Chapter Four
“Holy s**t!”
Cassie’s voice rings out as the paper cup of vanilla milkshake slips from her hand, splattering across the tiled floor in a mess of sticky cream and strawberries.
I wince, bracing myself.
Not for the mess.
But for the storm that’s about to come barreling straight at me.
“You had a baby?” Her voice cracks like thunder, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “And you never told me?” She steps back as if the confession physically hit her. “I thought we were—” Her voice shatters, a sob breaking through like glass. “I thought we were best friends, Elina.”
It’s not until the first tear slips down her freckled cheek that I realize how deeply I’ve hurt her.
Cassie doesn’t cry.
She rages, she curses, she throws sarcasm like daggers—but she doesn’t cry. Not when she lost her mom. Not even when her her boyfriend broke up with her.
But she’s crying now. Because of me.
Without thinking, I cross the room and wrap my arms around her trembling frame, but she shrugs me off like my touch burns. She wipes furiously at the tears that won’t stop falling, her mascara smudging beneath her eyes.
“I knew something was wrong,” she says, voice thick with emotion. “I knew you were battling something, but I thought it was just... stress, or burnout. Something that would pass. But this?” She laughs bitterly. “This wasn’t something small, Elina. You lost a child and went through that pain alone—and I wasn’t there for you.”
I try to explain, to speak, but the words feel stuck, jammed between guilt and regret.
“Cassie, I—”
“No,” she cuts in, shaking her head. “Don’t tell me you didn’t want to bother me. Don’t give me that crap. I signed up for the full ride the day we became sisters by choice, not blood. I was there for your first heartbreak, your second apartment flood, your tequila birthday meltdown—this should’ve been no different.”
She folds her arms, turning away, her posture rigid and cold, as if trying to protect the shattered pieces of her heart.
I step in front of her, swallowing the lump in my throat. “You’re not just my best friend, Cassie. You are my sister. The sister I never had but always needed. I didn’t hide this from you because I didn’t trust you—I hid it because I was broken. Because I couldn’t even say it out loud without falling apart.”
She doesn’t look at me, but her arms slowly drop.
“I couldn’t tell anyone,” I whisper. “Not even Noah. It was a burden I chose to carry alone. It felt... shameful. Like if I spoke it into existence, it would destroy me all over again.”
Cassie blinks slowly, absorbing every word, her expression softening. I can see it—the moment she realizes this wasn’t about excluding her. It was about living
She reaches out and gently lifts my chin until our eyes meet. “You’re not alone, Elina. You never were. Not while I’m still breathing.”
I break. I wrap my arms around her again, tighter this time, and this time she doesn’t resist. She holds me like she means it, like she’s anchoring me back to shore.
I don’t know how long we stand there, clinging to each other in the wreckage of truth. But when we finally pull apart, the air feels lighter. Like we’ve both exhaled something we didn’t know we were holding in.
Cassie wipes her face and clears her throat. “So... what did Noah say when you told him?”
I stiffen.
She squints at me. “Elina. You did tell him... right?”
I shake my head, barely able to meet her eyes. “No. I didn’t.”
Her gasp is sharp. “Elina Hemsworth! That was his child too. What possible excuse could you have for keeping that from him?”
I exhale shakily, pressing my hands against the counter to steady myself. “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell him.”
She stares, baffled.
“Noah adores kids,” I explain, voice low. “We used to talk about having them someday—two, maybe three. He would’ve made the most loving father. But losing that baby would’ve destroyed him. It nearly destroyed me, Cassie. And if I had told him... it would’ve ruined him. His work, his spirit, everything.”
Realization dawns on her face. “That’s why you left.”
I nod. “I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t be the one who ripped his heart out.”
Cassie exhales and runs a hand through her wild curls. “And now someone knows... and they’re threatening to tell him?”
I nod again, my fingers curling around the edge of the counter. “I’ve gotten two texts already. And the second one... it came with a name.”
“Let me see it,” she says, instantly shifting into problem-solving mode.
I hand her my phone. She studies the messages for a long, tense moment, then tilts her head.
“Well... lucky for you, they left us a trail.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
Cassie shrugs, already pulling out her own phone. “The number isn’t encrypted, and the name they used gives us something to dig into. I have a contact—an old friend from college. If anyone can trace the number and find out who’s behind it, he can.”
“You’ve got a hacker friend?” I blink, surprised.
She smirks. “You’re not the only one with secrets, babe.”
I laugh softly, despite myself. “Yeah... I guess I deserved that too.”
I step closer to her outstretched arm, my voice sincere. “I’m sorry, Cassie. I never meant to shut you out. I was just trying to survive.”
She nods slowly, then opens her arms. “Just promise me... no more secrets. From now on, we handle things together.”
I take a breath. A real one. The kind that feels like courage.
“I promise,” I whisper, pulling her into another hug.
And this time, I don’t let go.
- Writer
